Automatic stop for phonographs.



G, H TAGGART AUTOMATIC STOP FOR PHONOGRAPHS APPLICATION FILED MAR.5,19l8

Patented Dec 3, 1918.

/'2 5 I INVENTOR WITNESSES A TTOR/VEYS GEORGE H. TAGGART, on new Yon,K, '1v. Y.

.AUTOMATIC STOP FOR PHONOGRAPHS.

I Application filed March 5, i918.

To all whom it may concern:

Be'it known that I, GEORGE H. TAoeAR'r, a

4 citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of New York, borough of Manhattan, in the county and State of New York, have lnvented a new and Improved Automatic Stop for Phonographs, of which the following scription. This invention relates tophonographs and has particular reference to means for is a full, clear, and exact deautomatically stopping the machine when the end of a record or the like is reached.

The primary object of the invention, therefore, is to provide automatic means of an improved and simplified character whereby the turntable of a phonograph will be stopped practically instantly when the needle ceases to move toward the center of the turntable by virtue of the spirality of the groove of the record. More definitely" stated and among the other objects, my invention has in view the provision of simple, reliable and inconspicuous mechanism, that requires no adjustment or attention on the part of'the operator after it is once applied to the machine, but which will automatically stop the motor when the end ofthe record 'is reached, irrespective of the size of the standard disk or length of the record, and which is not subject to premature stoppage from any cause. 4

With the foregoing-and other ob ects in view the invention consists in the arrangement and combination of parts hereinafter described and claimed, and Whlle the invention is not restricted to the exact details of construction disclosed or suggested herein, still fort-he purpose. of illustrating a practical embodiment thereof reference is had to the accompanying drawings, in which like reference characters designate the same parts in the several views, and in which Figure 1 is a plan view of a phonograph cabinet with i-tstone arm and reproducer and indicating in-dot and dashlines the approximate position of the turntable, the principal features of my improvement being located beneath the turntable 1 Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1. Fig; 3'is an enlarged detall view of the brake actuating-means with parts in section on the line 33 of Fig. 2. L I -Fig. 4 isa vertical transverse sect on on the line H of Fig. 1;

Specification of Letters Patent.

' will be referred to as the record. understood that the parts thus far ment described in detail below Patented Dec. 3, 1918. Serial No. 220,479.

Fig. 5 is a similar view of the turntable driv ng means on the line 5-5 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 6 is a detail plan view of a changed position of the cam mechanism; and

Fig. 7 is a detail view as would be seen from the lane of the line 7-7 of Fig. 1.

eferrlng now more particularly to the drawings I showat 10 the deck of a phonograph of any approved or conventional constructionhaving a hole 11 through which the spindle-12 is operated from any suitable motor, not shown, for rotating the turntable 13 upon which the disk 14 is centered and supported as usual. The tone arm 15 is adapted to oscillate around the vertical axis of the elbow of a socket 16 and carries at its outer end as usual any suitable reproducer 17 carrying a needle 18 cooperating with thespiral record' groove of the disk record. The term disk as used herein is applicable to the physical body, while the groove It will be described are or may be of any well known or approved construction and that my improveisadapted to be attached to any such construction.

The brake comprises a shoe 19 mounted on a vertical pivot 20 on a lever 21 having a fixed pivot 22 connected to any suitable base or plate beneath the turntable, the shoe, however, being" adapted to act inward against the flange 13 of the turntable to stop the motion thereof. under the force of a relatively strong spring 23 fixed at one end at 24 to the lever and at its other end to an adjustable plate 25. The brake in the normal running position of the machine is held slightly spaced from the turntable flange by an anti friction trigger device comprising a bell crank lever 26 mounted on a fixed vertical pivot 27. One arm 28 roller 29 mounted on a pivot 30 and bearing normally against the shouldered end 81 of the lever,21,- the point of contact between the lever 21 and the roller 29 belng substantially in alinement with the axes of the pivots 27 and 30 so that even though the spring '23 draws with considerable force upon the lever 21 the brake will not be set until the equilibrium of the anti-friction'roller in its normal position is disturbed by some external influence.

The bell crank 26 has two other arms 32 d 33, the former extending from the pivot 7 arm 33 extends on pivot 27 from the arm ;32.-and approximately diametrically opposite the bisector of the.-

angle" between the arms 28 and-32. Inother A to rotate the 4 tion around its pivot-27. Because of the antiextension the" post 12. but slightly eccentric thereto,

proximately at right 'Any suitable Words the arms 28 and 32 are arranged ap- 135 degrees from each of them.

means may be providedto push outward'on' bell crank in'a clockwise direcfriction roller 29 the force necessary to so initiate the rotation ofthe bell crank may be relatively slight, .forafter the slightest movement the force of thejmain spring'23.

will continue such rotation of the bell-crank allowing the brake to be set. The dotted lines of F ig. 3 indicate the set position of the brake and the trigger mechanlsm and indicating how the arm 33-is then projected inward more directly toward the center of;

the turntable.

34 indicates a circular are shaped bar or actuator mounted for reciprocation in a circular are Whose center is the Vertical axis 16.

Thisactuator 34 is guided for such reciprocatlons along guideways 35 of any suitable nature and it is adapted tobe so reciprocated by connection with any desired part of the tone arm construction which in the normal manipulation and operation of the machine is oscillated around said vertical axis 16. In the form of -the invention shown the connection between the tone arm structure and the actuator 34'is efiected through a suitable arm 36 fixed upon the tone arm and reaching outwardand having any suit able lost motion connection at its lower end with the end 34 of the actuator remote from the brake mechanism. It will be understood that when the tone arm,is moved to the right preliminary to introducing a disk 14- to the turntablethe actuator will be moved in a corresponding direction until it is stopped by anysuitable lug or. the like such as indicated at 37, and when the tone arm is moved to the left' either by the operator for any purpose or'during the normal running of the machine with the needle 18 in the spiral groove of the disk the actuator 34 will be moved likewise toward the left and at the same angular velocity as the tone arm.

38 indicates a trip lever pivoted on the pivot 40 and adjacent to the U-shaped arm ed. The main portion of the lever 38 com-. prises a long arm' the main portion of which is-straight and just below an extension of the upper half of the U-shaped arm 39, the being inward towardthe axis of while the extreme innerend 38 of the-lever angles to 7 each other and the arm 33 is arranged approximately the free end of the arm 32 na end 50 of the thrust member" I the wheel by portion of the lever 51 is arranged approxiresents.

-1S deflected iapproximately -towardsaid jpost 12. On-pittot 4O spanning" the tvrole of the U-shaped the arm "39";has' attached to the :freefend' thereof at43' a 'light spring' 44 anchored at its inner end toan ad ustable plate 45, thetendencyof the spring being to" swing the trip lever 38 in a counter ciockwise direction around its pivot 27.

The; lonerportion-of the trip lever 38 constitutes a holder oi' 'carrier for a'thrust member-indicated herein as comprising a wire 46 having ieo'seylpoped ngagmentat its inner-and outerien'ds at .47 B 1d148 with the straight portion'of the lever'3 8' and pro- 'vided intermediate of its ends with a: coil 49 for, additional flexibility. The extreme 1n- 7 lies just. below the horizontal planeof the lever 38 and its inward extension 38 but otherwise is' parallel to the axis of. the main portion of lever 38. The end loop 48 lies against or close to-the free end32 of thetrigger bell crank 26 and so when any force is applied to the inner end 50 of forcing 'itoutward such force tends to throw the anti-friction roller out *of normal position.

Y Any suitable means, dependin preferably. on therotation of the turn ta le, may be provided to actuate or control the thrust member 46, To- 'thisend Lshow herein a lever 51 pivoted on a fixed pivot .52 and havinga shoe 53 held normally in contact with the periphery of a cam wheel 54 journaked on a, vertical pivot 55 at one side of the post 12. Nearly all of the periphery of said cam "wheel is circular and concentric with the pivot 55, but there is provided a cam 56 and adjacent thereto is a correspond: ing depression 57. The shoe 53 is held normally against the periphery of this cam means of a spring 58. The main the thrust? member mately at right angles to the trip lever 38 but it is provided with a. finger 59 extending therefrom at an obliqueangle substantially intersecting the-deflected end 38' of the trip lever. Ashoe 59 carried by the outer endof the finger bears against the side of the extension, 38' remote The wheel 54 may be of any suitable size or design and variously located for its purpose, it being noted, however, that it is rotated continuously in the direction indicated by the arrows as long as the turntable is rotating. The means illustrated for driving the wheel whose periphery bears against a concentric. hub 61 of the wheei 5d. At each rotation of from the spring 58.-

54 comprises a friction wheel '60 the wheel 7 54 the cam 56 thereof strikes the shoe 53: and so swings the lever 51 outward in a clockwise direction tofa distance a friction shoe 62' bearing against and the shoe 62 acting on .the shoe 53 the spring 58 abscissa v portion of the shoe 53 at this time is thrown into the dotted line position of Fig. 1, past the end of the thrust member, the shoe 59 being carried at this time away from the end 38 of the trip lever, not hearing against any other part. While the cam 56 passes beyond drawssaid shoe promptly into the recess 57, but in so doing the shoe 59 wiping against the extension 38 swings both thetrip lever 38 andthe member 46 far enough toward the bring the point 50 of the thrust member into the path of the shoe 53 where it would be struck by said shoe 53 011 the next actuation thereof by. the cam 56 unless the thrust memher in the meantime be restored to its normal position. T

he means I provide to automatically and normally maintain the thrust member point 50 out of the path of the shoe 53 comprises the inner edge of the curved actuator bar 34 and held in such position by means of the teeth 42 extending from the knuckle 41 above described, it being noted that the shoe 62 lies between the axis 40 of the knuckle and said actuator bar so that the light spring 44 acting constantly upon the free end of the U- shaped member 39 of the trip lever will always maintain this position. It is to be borne in mind that the spiral record groovein its cooperation mechanically with the needle 18 will cause, by reason of the rotation of the turntable, a constant translation of the needle toward the center of the disk and from this fact it follows-that the tone arm acting through the support 36 will move the actuator bar 34 constantly though at a low rate of speed in the same direction. This frictional'engagement between the bar 34 what may be termed a relatively short arm of the lever 40 will be so multiplied out at the end, of the lpngler arm of the lever 38 that the relatively s 1 de t to each rotation of the disk will be suflicient to normally keep the point 50 of the thrust member out of the path of the shoe 53. When, however, the aforesaid lateral translation of the needle ceases from any cause as for instance when the needle reaches the inner end of therecord and runs into the concentric portion thereof the actuator bar will no longer be functional to cause the swinging of the longer end of the lever 38 and point 50 of the thrust member toward the left. Therefore, while the wheel 54 on its next rotation will occasion through its depression 57 the actuation by means of the spring 58 of the point 50 toward the right or into the path of the shoe 53, said oint ill remain in such pos tion where it will be impinged against by said shoe 53 on the next pivot 52 to vfor normal will go through practically the same motions that t movement of the actuator bar "inci- I ,and means actuated by approach of the cam 56 tripping the brake and stopping the tab e. I

Onthe nest oscillation tithe tmiti-hf.

toward the right preliminaqio'starting the; next record the actuator lug 37. During this movement ofithe bar 34 a lug] or rib" 63 formed thereongfwip against the free end "18 0 armi .33 ofthe tr gger member and so swings. said -trigger positively by virtue-of the rib 63' so long as the actuator bar is-atjts extreme so. releasing the brake where it will throw to the right or approximately "so."

The rib-'63 may be of any suitable length but preferably is so located or proportioned that it will have cooperation with the end of the arm 33 during enough of the first portion of the-rotation of the disk to insure that the record will be well started before the rib 63 passes to the left beyond the arm 33. It will thus be appreciated that while the operator is manipulating the reproducer and setting the needle there vwill be no danger of such stoppage of oscillation of the tone arm as will initiate the setting of the ment of the actuator bar. In other words playing purposes the operator he usually does inrespect of a machine having no automatic means for stopping the turntables That is, he swin s the tone arm to the right, changes the disk or needle if necessar andthen applies the needle to the record. By this time the turntable will have started in its rotation and as required at the proper speed. The operator then may rest at ease without concern about stopping the machine. at the end of the record.

I claim:

.brake due to the failure of continued move- 1. In an automatic stop for'phonographs,

the combination with arotating part, a brake cooperating therewith to stop the rotation thereof, and power means acting upon said brake membertending to make it effective, of a trigger member comprising a pivoted lever and an anti-friction roller acting between the brake member and the power means acting thereon, said anti-friction member being located normally approximately in a direct line between 1tspoint of contact with the brake member and the axis of the pivoted member, a member for turning the pivot member on its axis to throw the anti-friction member out of said line,

the rotation of said I rotating member to actuate the member acting on the pivoted me 70 arBi moved therewith and 4 thereby. in" a.v similar-1 direction until stoppedasfby meansof 2QIn-an automatic stop for phonographs, groove, a brake'slioe cooperating with the Lfthecombination with a turntable, a brake turntable, means acting uponthe shoe tend- :shoe cooperating therewith to stop the turning to apply it to the turntable, and repro- .table, a" lever carrying said shoe, and a duc'er 'means cooperating with the disk fi spring acting upon the lever to apply the groove and moved by the groove laterally shoe, of trigger mechanism -to-'oontrol the over the disk while the 'recordis being resetting of the brake and comprising a pivproduced, of trigger mechanism cooperating (ioted lever and an anti-friction roller jour normally with the brake shoe to hold it naled on one arm ofthe ,lever and lying spaced from the turntable, a cam device :10-

1 'normally with its axis in a substantially. 'tuated by theturntable, thrust means betraight line between the axis of'the trigger tween the cam device and the trigger de-. l lever and theoint of; contact betweenthe vices, and an actuator member moved coin-' l roller and the brake lever, a cam member cidentally with the sound reproducing means rotated coincidentally with the turntable, cooperating with the thrust member serving thrust means betweenthe cam member and.- to prevent the operation of the thrust memthe trigger lever' for, rotating the trigger berwhile the sound reproducing means are lever and tripping the brake, and means cobeing translated by the groove, but serving operating with the tripping means aforesaid to cause the actuation of the trigger mech- 40 preventing theopefation thereof while the anism through the thrust member when the 9 record is being played. sound reproducing means no longer is trans 3. The combination with a turntable for lated. gnpportihg a record-disk having a spiral 'GEO. H. TAGGART. 

